Step back in time with Greenwood Tours, offering guided walking tours through Greenwood’s historic downtown. These tours highlight the city’s mining heritage, preserved heritage buildings, and stories of its past, including the Japanese Canadian internment during World War II. Two distinct tours are available most days during the season, with private group tours for two or more by arrangement.

• Hours of Operation (2025):

  • May 1 - September 30: Tours typically run at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, Monday through Saturday.

  • Private tours available year-round by appointment.

• Admission: Fees vary; typically $10-$15 per person for public tours. Contact for private tour rates.

• Contact Information:

  • Phone: (778) 667-3211 (Maureen Grant)

  • Website: Greenwood Tours

  • Email: [email protected]

• Plan Your Visit: Tours start at the Greenwood Visitor Centre (214 S. Copper Avenue). Wear comfortable walking shoes and check the website for tour schedules or to book private groups. The Heritage Walking Tour is also available as a self-guided option with maps from the Visitor Centre.

Immerse yourself in a place of reflection and history at the Nikkei Legacy Park, a beautifully restored 15th-century-style Japanese rock garden located just on the outskirts of downtown Greenwood, adjacent to the City of Greenwood Campground on Mineral Street. Originally named Boundary Creek Park and later Ohairi Park, it was renamed in 2018 to honor the 1,200 Japanese Canadians forcibly interned in Greenwood during World War II, marking the city as Canada’s first internment site in 1942. The park features a serene open-concept design with a dry river bed, natural stone bridge, island, newly planted trees and shrubs, a small waterfall, and a triple-stone feature symbolizing protection, harmony, and balance. A pavilion with interpretive panels and family memorial plaques tells the story of the Nikkei community’s resilience, while a monument honors twelve Japanese Canadian World War I veterans, including three Military Medal recipients.

Spearheaded by Chuck Tasaka in 2014, the park’s transformation was a community effort, supported by donations from across Canada and the U.S., including the National Association of Japanese Canadians and local groups. The park, officially reopened on July 29, 2018, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, is a poignant tribute to Japanese Canadian heritage and a peaceful space for contemplation. Visitors can enjoy the tranquil setting, reflect on history, and honor loved ones through memorial plaques.

• Hours of Operation (2025):

  • Open year-round, dawn to dusk, for self-guided visits.

  • Special events and guided tours may be scheduled during summer; check the website for updates.

• Admission: Free; donations for park maintenance and memorial plaques are gratefully accepted.

• Contact Information:

  • Phone: (250) 445-6644 (City of Greenwood)

  • Website: Nikkei Legacy Park

  • Email: [email protected] (for inquiries about events or donations)

  • Donations: Cheques can be sent to City of Greenwood, P.O. Box 129, Greenwood, BC V0H 1J0, Attention: Nikkei Legacy Park Project.

• Plan Your Visit: Located near Highway 3, the park is easily accessible with parking at the adjacent campground. The site is wheelchair-friendly with flat pathways. Combine your visit with a stop at the Greenwood Museum & Visitor Centre (214 S. Copper Avenue) for more on Japanese Canadian history. Donations for memorial plaques or ongoing landscaping can be made via the City of Greenwood; contact for details.

Step into this 1903 gem (designed by G.C. Curtis, once the area's finest structure) for a self-guided peek at the upper-floor courtroom: 32’ x 49’ with 24’ ceilings of oil-finished coast cedar, stained-glass skylights evoking the Union Jack's saints, and windows depicting Canada's seven 1902 provinces. Descend to the basement's original cell (plus two added after crafty miner escapes through granite walls). Main floor hosts city admin; free access, ideal for architecture lovers (30-45 minutes).

Situated just off Highway 3 in Greenwood, British Columbia, Lotzkar Memorial Park is a striking testament to the city’s copper mining heritage. This industrial site, home to the ruins of the BC Copper Company smelter that operated from 1901 to 1918, features a towering 36-meter brick smokestack and a vast slag pile, both enduring symbols of Greenwood’s prosperous past. Named after Leon Lotzkar, who donated the land to the city after selling the smelter’s machinery, the park offers a glimpse into early 20th-century industry with its crumbling ruins and unique geological remnants. Visitors can explore walking paths that weave through the site, though caution is advised due to ongoing restoration and safety concerns.

Interesting Facts:

• Historical Significance: The smelter, built in 1901 by the New York-based BC Copper Company, processed copper, gold, and silver from the nearby Mother Lode Mine and other regional mines, employing up to 400 men at its peak.

• Iconic Smokestack: The 36-meter (121-foot) brick smokestack, one of the last of its kind in British Columbia, remains a prominent landmark visible from much of Greenwood.

• Hell’s Bells: The park features distinctive black slag cones, known as “Hell’s Bells,” formed from molten residue dumped in bell-shaped railcars, some of which still retain their unique shape.

• Anaconda Community: The smelter once supported its own community, Anaconda, just south of Greenwood, with a superintendent’s house still standing nearby.

• Preservation Efforts: Restoration projects, including soil contamination testing and smokestack repairs, have been ongoing, with the city investing approximately $100,000 to preserve the site, though it remains partially closed for safety.

• Visitor Experience: The park offers self-guided exploration of the ruins and slag pile, but lacks clear signage, making it a hidden gem for history buffs and urban explorers.

Discover the historic ghost town of Deadwood, just a short drive from Greenwood, British Columbia. From Highway 3, cross the Washington Street Bridge and continue 4 km past the BC Copper Company Smelter Site to reach this once-thriving community, established in 1897. While little remains of Deadwood today, faint traces of the Algoma Hotel and other structures hint at its vibrant past. Spanning 100 acres, Deadwood once boasted two hotels, a blacksmith, a shoemaker’s shop, a post office, a school, and numerous homes.

The surrounding area was rich with mineral claims, including the renowned Motherlode Mine and Sunset Camp, alongside copper claims like Big Ledge, Eagle, Butte City, and Spoiled Horse. A spur of the Columbia and Western Railway once connected Deadwood to Greenwood and the Motherlode Mine, with the town serving as a key loading point for ore from the BC Copper Company camp.

Visitors today can explore the nearby waste dump, where sparkling iron pyrites, calcite crystals, chalcopyrite, tiny garnets, and vibrant green epidote catch the sunlight, offering a glimpse into Deadwood’s mining heritage. Plan your visit to this historic site and uncover the stories of Greenwood’s past!

Greenwood, British Columbia, holds a significant place in history as the first internment center for Nikkei (Japanese Canadian) individuals forcibly removed from British Columbia’s coast following the events of December 7, 1941. Once a thriving smelter city with a population of 3,000, Greenwood had numerous vacant hotels and homes, which provided shelter for nearly 1,200 Nikkei during this challenging period.

When World War II ended in 1945, while many communities supported the government’s restrictions on Japanese Canadians, Greenwood took a different path. Thanks to Mayor McArthur’s compassionate decision to welcome Nikkei families, Greenwood became a place of refuge and resilience, shaping a unique chapter in Japanese Canadian history.

Today, Greenwood’s Nikkei Legacy Park honors this shared history with 80 family plaques commemorating both Nikkei and Caucasian families under the theme “We Lived Together.” These plaques serve as a lasting tribute, inviting former residents to reconnect with their ‘furusato’ (hometown) and pass down their family legacies to future generations.